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“The Rose Blooming since the Stone Age"
Fossils found in the Colorado Rockies show markings of rose leaves. They probably are the oldest trace of the rose, dating back to the Paleolithic era, roughly 35 to 32 million years ago, when homo-sapiens were still roaming about in the wilderness.
The rose, which seems to have originated in Asia, emerges from around 3000 BC. in Asian documents as artistic motifs, and seems to have been introduced to Europe later on.
Although in 800 BC., Homer sings of the "perfume of roses" and "rosy-fingered" in his works, the rose itself is not yet mentioned.
It is thought that fragrant rose oil (attar of roses) was introduced to Europe first, and the enticing aroma eventually made way to the cultivation of the plant itself.
Lavish Roman Banquets Immersed in Roses
As Hellenic civilization that gave birth to Greek philosophy came to an end, and Roman civilization of material abundance began to flourish, roses began to be seen as an item of foremost luxury.
Before a banquet, the guests would first take a bath and then spread rose oil over the body. Since the people took seats in a reclining position, the whole ceiling was adorned with roses to please the eye, carpets of roses covered the floor, and rose petals floated in wine glasses.
The most extravagant banquets sub Rosa may have been that of the despotic Roman Emperor Nero, held nightly in his Golden Palace on Palatine Hill.
In addition to the lavish rose water bath and attar of roses, rose petals and rose oil were sprinkled from the ceiling, and the guests were served rose-scented wine and dessert made from roses. A single night of extravagance is said to have cost an equivalent of $150,000!
Roses were also used to highlight the beauty of Cleopatra.
It is said that in her historical meeting with her future lover Anthony, the carpet of roses was over 30 centimeters thick.
Venus and Roses: beauties of heaven and earth
Renaissance painter Botticelli is famous for such masterpieces as "Primavera" and "Birth of Venus" that evoke both love and spirituality and project an ideal womanly beauty.
But have you noticed in these paintings that dainty rose petals are blowing in the wind?
The rose petals depicted in these paintings are of a different kind from the modern garden rose. They are R. alba and R. cent folia, both of which are original species.
The name "cent folia" means "100 petals". Does its blossom really have that many petals? A Shiseido perfumer counted the petals of two Cent folia roses and confirmed that the name was true to its form, since there were 101 petals on one, and 113 petals on the other.
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| This article was published on Monday November 06, 2006. |
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